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F1 pundit Ted Kravitz recently opined that Red Bull could not have changed the front bib height and overall ride height of the car during parc ferme. This came after the pundit saw how the mechanics changed the front bib height.
Right before the 2024 F1 US GP (Sunday, October 20), the FIA prohibited any changes to the front bib between race sessions, especially when the car was in parc ferme. The front bib, also known as the T-ray, is an aerodynamic component located behind the front axle and underneath the front wing. It is not advisable to adjust this component during parc ferme as it may affect the car's ride height.
Red Bull was eventually identified as the team that took advantage of this weakness and modified the T-ray between racing sessions. Hence, it became a hot topic during the race in Austin, Texas.
During the first practice session at the Circuit of the Americas, a few FIA delegates visited Red Bull's garage to see how the defending world champions adjusted the front bib height. This was captured by Sky Sports, with Ted Kravitz reporting on it.
The F1 pundit was surprised to see how openly the Austrian team demonstrated the entire mechanism, without hiding anything from the cameras or the FIA. After he saw how the team changed the front bib's height, he felt that this change could not be brought during the parc ferme.
"I never thought that they were actually going to be this open. Ole Shack is actually showing how he puts the device into the footwell of the car, once the driver is out, which adjusts the ride height of the front of the car," Kravitz said.
“Now I've seen how it actually works. I'm starting to think that there's no way they could have done this in Parc Fermé without a scrutineer picking up on it and saying, I'm gonna be refer this back to the FIA,” he added.
Helmut Marko claims Red Bull's front bib height change tactic is not illegal
Red Bull senior Helmut Marko recently dubbed his team's front bib height-changing technique 'legal.' Speaking to the Italian wing of Sky Sports, he said every team knows about the tactic since it was informed by the FIA themselves. He was well aware that the height should not change between qualifying and a race.
"It's completely legal and it was known to all the other teams because you know we had informed the FIA about that. I guess nearly every team has it. And you can't change it between qualifying and the race, so that's the main thing," Marko said.
"So, nothing illegal. I don't know why so much fuss is being made about it. I think someone is trying to take away the attraction of some other issues," he added.
Red Bull continues to chase the top spot in the 2024 F1 constructors' championship. The team is currently in second place with 475 points and is chasing table leaders McLaren (516 points).
